III. Spirited Away

III.  Spirited Away

“Well, you were right, Mrs. Harper,” Nathan exhaled, clearing his throat.

“About what?” she asked.

“We have an opportunity to talk again before the office Christmas party,” he pointed out, spreading his hands with a chuckle.

“Indeed!  You have come to my rescue once more, Nathaniel,” she replied with a coy smile.

“You have no idea how much this means to me.”

“It’s no problem at all, Mrs. Harper,” he grinned, trying his best to downplay his excitement to be alone with her.

She glanced over her shoulder with a gasp as approaching voices reverberated from the back yard.  Other people were leaving the party and appeared around the side of the house.

“We should get going,” Cassandra urged him with raised brows.

“It would be best if others did not see me with you.”

“Yeah,” Nathan agreed, completely understanding her meaning.

“I hear you Mrs. Harper.”

He could only imagine the rumors that would fly in the office if she was seen leaving with him.  He would never live it down.

He swiftly led her to his car and opened the passenger-side door for her.

“Thank you,” she said, acknowledging his courtesy.

“Just toss your hat in the back seat,” he instructed her.

Holding her hat by the pointed tip, she reached inside and neatly dropped it upright on its brim.  Then she gathered the long skirt of her coat behind her legs and gracefully eased herself into the low bucket seat.  She reached out with her gloved hand to pull the door shut herself, the buttoned white cuff of her blouse telescoping from her leather sleeve.

Several people swarmed into the front yard as he ran around to the driver’s side. 

Nathan flung his door open, plunked himself inside, and slammed the door shut again with a bang.  His key was already in his hand.  He started the engine, backed out, and was rolling down the gravel driveway before the first person reached them.  He pulled out onto the street and jammed on the gas pedal to send them zooming on their way. 

It was a rush of excitement for him to be racing off on a secret mission with the beautiful lady. 

“I think we escaped the wolf pack unscathed, Mrs. Harper,” he grinned over his shoulder at her.

“Let us hope so,” she sighed.

“I am ever so ready to be finished with those people.”

She settled herself in her seat, arranging her coat about her legs, and fastening her seatbelt.  Her activity was accompanied by a symphony of sumptuously creaking leather that was amplified by the confined space of the car interior.  She didn’t seem to notice the sound, but he had never heard anything so erotic in his entire life! 

He was speechless with awe until she was still enough to silence her rustling lambskin coat once more.  His tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth as he searched for something to say. 

Cassandra inspected the interior of his car with arched brows.  Nathan never had such a sophisticated passenger in his humble little Accord before and suddenly became vividly aware of the crack in the dashboard, loose change in the console, and coffee stains in the cupholder that he usually ignored.  He had no doubt that Cassandra’s car was as immaculate as she was, not to mention that she drove a Cadillac.

“Sorry!” he winced.

“I’m sure my car is not as nice as you are used to!” 

“I do not mind,” she replied kindly.

“You are a busy young man who is working his way toward something better.  That is more respectable to me than a fancy car.”

Her politeness put him at ease.  He wondered again how she was such a nice person to him, but so disliked by his coworkers for being a snob.  

“So is that Cadillac you and Marvin came in yours?” he asked, pulling his own seat belt across his chest and clicking it at his side.

“Yes it is,” she answered.

“That’s a pretty nice car, Mrs. Harper,” he observed.

“It is more comfortable than a horse drawn carriage I suppose,” she joked modestly.

“I’m used to seeing Marvin drive his Mercedes to work so I figured the Cadillac must belong to you,” Nathan said.

“Yes.  It suits me well,” she pointed out.

“Unfortunately, I will be driving Marvin’s Mercedes while he is gone.”

“Why’s that?” Nathan asked.

“Oh.  He worries about leaving a convertible parked in the public lot at the airport for a week.  It would be easy for somebody to cut through the soft top and get inside.  I cannot blame him.  Lord knows you hear about thieves breaking into cars almost every day,” she explained.

“That makes sense.  But, you don’t like driving his Mercedes?” Nathan asked incredulously.

“A Mercedes for a Cadillac sounds like a pretty even trade to me.”

“I do not like riding in a convertible and it is too small for my taste,” she told him.

She fretted, tugging her coat sleeves down over the white cuffs of her blouse.

“God forbid that I ever be in a wreck, but I feel more protected in a full-size car.”

Cassandra apparently worried about things somewhat excessively which did not surprise him.  It fit her ladylike personality to be overly concerned with safety and security.  His mother was the same way.

“Yeah.  You sound like my mom.  She was in a bad car accident back in 1975 and she swears that the only thing that saved her life was the huge Chevy Caprice she was driving.  She says the thing was darn-near indestructible.  It still ran after the accident!” Nathan chuckled.

“She still won’t drive anything smaller than a Chrysler 300.”

Cassandra’s expression turned serious.

“I sincerely hope you do not think of me like your mother, Nathaniel!” she huffed indignantly.

Her reaction was not what he expected.  Did he accidentally offend her? 

“Not at all Mrs. Harper!” he responded, quickly backpedaling.

“I wasn’t comparing you to my mom!”

His mom was fifty-six.  He never thought about it before, but Cassandra was probably about the same age.  

She looked away.

“I am sorry, Nathaniel.  It is just... I am older than you, but I do not want you to think of me as being old... if you understand what I mean,” she explained.

“I don't think you are old, Mrs. Harper,” he assured her.

“Good.  I am relieved to hear that,” she said.

“Why are you even worried about it?” he asked.

“Because I never want to be old, of course!” she admitted with a decadent smile on her red lips.

He chuckled and nodded at her comment.  She was voicing the universal lament of every middle-aged woman.

They crossed an overpass.  He braked at a traffic light, waited for an oncoming car to go by, and turned onto the entrance ramp to the expressway.  Looking over his left shoulder, he accelerated and merged smoothly into traffic.  

“For what it's worth, Mrs. Harper, I'm only thirty, and I think you could probably pass for someone my age!” he complimented her.

He was being honest.  If he was dressed normally and they were seen together in public, people might easily mistake them for a couple.

“Oh!  Thank you!  You are too kind!” she blushed.

Another one of her pretty upside-down smiles curled the corners of her lips, making his heart skip a beat.  She averted her head modestly. 

“I know that people wonder about my age, and indeed, I am older than I appear.  I preserve my good health with a personal ritual that is rather unconventional, so I never speak of it.”

“Well, I would never ask what your ritual is because it’s none of my business, but I have a hard time believing that there is anything very scary about you, Mrs. Harper,” he said.

“Everyone has skeletons in their closet, Nathaniel,” she muttered somewhat ominously with her chin buried in her collar. 

“But, apparently I am scary enough to your peers no matter what I do or say.”

She lifted her head, shooting a knowing glance his way.

Her answer surprised him.  He never said anything bad about her himself, but he still felt guilty by association.

He quickly looked away.

“Sorry Mrs. Harper,” he winced.

“There is no need for you to apologize Nathaniel.  You are not like the rest.  You have never said anything unkind to me, unlike some of your coworkers.  I understand all too well that many of them dislike me,” she said.

“Marvin tells you what people say at the office?” Nathan asked.

“No.  He does not say much about it because he thinks it will hurt my feelings.  I learn what I need to know through... other means,” she explained.

Her leather coat creaked audibly as she paused for an uncomfortable second.

“Believe me Nathaniel, after so many years I am quite aware of the envy and contempt that my prosperity instigates in others.  I have dealt with it many times before.  It is not always easy to be a rich man’s wife, but I am content.  I find it is best to simply keep to myself and associate with my own friends,” she told him. 

“You are way too classy for those idiots, Mrs. Harper,” he told her.

“Trouble makers always get what they deserve in the end,” she assured him somewhat sanctimoniously.

“I simply continue living my own life and let time take care of the rest.”

There was another momentary pause.

“I hear good things about you, though, Nathaniel.  Marvin really likes you.  He thinks you are a hard worker.  If you stay with the company you will go far,” she said kindly.

He looked away again in embarrassment.  Her flattery made him uncomfortable.

“But, enough about work!  We have much more pleasant things to talk about,” she said, changing the subject abruptly.

Leather squelched as she shifted to angle herself toward him.  Her seat belt caught under the top button of her coat and rolled the corner of her right lapel up.

Not surprisingly, she was wearing perfume.  They had been enclosed in the car long enough that he could detect the subtle fragrance of it.  Needless to say, she smelled good.  

“Tell me, Nathaniel, where does your interest in history come from?” she asked.

“I don’t know,” he shrugged.

“I’ve always liked it.  I joke that I must have an old soul.  To be focused on this one period in history like I am makes me wonder if maybe I didn’t live back then in a previous life or something.”

“Do you truly believe that such a thing is possible?” she asked with a hint of excitement in her voice.

He glanced at her.  Buttons glimmered and shiny black leather rippled around her. 

“Do you have any memories?  Any visions of people or things from the past?” she asked further.

“What?  No.  I can’t say that I do,” he chuckled.

He grinned at her, assuming that she was kidding.

Her expression was serious.  Her piercing green eyes were wide with sincerity. 

  

“Okay.  Not to be rude, Mrs. Harper, but what in the heck are you talking about?” he asked her point blank.

“What do you mean?” she replied. 

“When you arrived at the party you looked at me really strange and said something about ‘beholding me’ again.  You got really emotional when I showed you my kit, and if I understood right, you said you were going to call me as you were leaving the party!  Now you are asking me if I think I am reincarnated!” he rattled off systematically.

She smiled at his consternation.

“Do I remind you of someone you used to know or something?” he implored of her.

“Yes,” she answered with solemn simplicity. 

“You remind me of someone very dear to me who died long ago.”

“And you just noticed it tonight?  We’ve met several times since I’ve been with the company.  We’ve even talked before,” he pointed out.

“Yes.  I know Nathaniel.  But you must understand it has been such a very long time since I have seen him.  There has always been something familiar to me about your face that I could never quite place.  I suppose it is why I have always felt comfortable around you.  When you greeted me in your remarkable cavalier costume it was suddenly like looking at his ghost!  You nearly made my heart stop!” she told him.

“I’m kind of confused how seeing me in seventeenth century armor is what reminded you of somebody you used to know,” he replied with a chuckle.

“I know this seems strange to you at the moment, but please be patient.  I will explain everything to you once we get home,” she said.  

She hesitated for a moment before continuing. 

“It is not mere chance that brought us together tonight, Nathaniel.  Time has opened a door that has been closed for far too long.”

He glanced at her with uncertainty, not really knowing what to say. 

She smiled at him intently with her lips closed for a few seconds more before turning away. 

  

There was another long pause. 

“So... are you into supernatural stuff, Mrs. Harper?” he asked cautiously.

“Most people accuse me of being overly practical,” she asserted, plucking at her coat buttons again.

“But, it is my personal experience that the laws of nature do not govern all of us alike.”

Her leather coat creaked again as she fidgeted and pulled the flaps closed around her legs.

“No offense, but you have never struck me as someone who was into occult mysticism.  You seem a bit too conservative for that kind of stuff,” he said. 

“Never judge a book by its cover Nathaniel.  My life might be more mysterious than you would ever guess!” she insinuated, her voice resonating in a way he had never heard before.

He glanced at her.

Her green eyes sparkled at him in the passing streetlights.  

“I hope you do not think me too forward for asking, but do you have a girlfriend, Nathaniel?” she inquired in the pleasantly nosey way older women discerned such information.

“No,” he answered quickly, the change in subject catching him off guard.

“Not right now anyway.”

He squirmed uncomfortably in his seat. 

Nathan was increasingly embarrassed by his single status and he didn’t want Cassandra to think he was a loser.  Most of his friends were in serious relationships if not already married with kids.  Meanwhile he was still struggling just to meet someone.  

“How is it that such a handsome young man is not already married to a pretty girl?” she asked in the same tone of voice his grandmother used.

“I guess I just haven’t met the right girl yet,” he answered, cringing at the cliché as it rolled off his tongue.

“Indeed,” she nodded, with a coy smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

“I have dated a few girls, but so far it hasn’t worked out with any of them,” he confessed.

“Do not concern yourself with them, Nathaniel.  They were not meant to be,” she assured him with a certainty that struck him as somewhat peculiar.

“I don’t know, Mrs. Harper.  My last girlfriend broke up with me because she said I was too obsessed with my hobby.  She couldn’t understand how anyone could be so interested in people that had been dead for hundreds of years,” he told her.

“She sounds like a silly girl to me,” Cassandra observed. 

“You may be right, but most of the girls I meet think the same way.  If you aren’t into stuff that is new and trendy they don’t care about it.  There don’t seem to be too many women who like history,” he continued.

“Some women are quite passionate about history,” she interjected coquettishly.

She was obviously referring to herself.  Unfortunately, that did not help his situation.

“Well, I haven’t met a single woman who is yet,” he complained.

“Do not be so sure.  Such a woman may be closer to you than you realize,” she said.

Nathan realized that Cassandra’s beauty heightened his perception of anything she did, but the glance she gave him from the corners of her eyes struck him as extremely alluring.  

If he didn’t know better he would think she was flirting with him. 

“True love presents itself to you but once in a lifetime, Nathaniel, if you are fortunate.  You must be vigilant to recognize love’s face when it greets you.”

“So you believe in true love, Mrs. Harper?” he asked.

“I most certainly do!” she nodded, pressing a gloved hand over her heart.

“As should you!”

“I have trouble trying to tell if a girl is interested enough in me to go out on a date, much less recognize if she is my soulmate,” he snickered sarcastically.

“You should not doubt yourself, Nathaniel.  I believe you have remained single for a purpose.  You are meant for a special woman,” she encouraged him.

“Yeah.  Right.  Now you do sound like my mother, Mrs. Harper,” he remarked.

“Hush Nathaniel and listen to me,” she insisted.

“You must open your heart to all possibilities and rid your mind of preconceptions that blind you.  Only then will you see your true love as she appears before you.  She has been waiting your entire life and she will offer her love to you immediately when you recognize her.  You must accept it without hesitation and give your love to her freely in return.  And with a kiss upon the lips both of you shall be joined together... forever!” 

She spoke as if she was reciting a prophecy from a fairy tale.  She gazed at him with an inscrutable expression on her smooth porcelain face. 

He wasn’t sure how to respond.  Was she being serious?  Was she so far removed from being single and dating that she actually thought it worked like that?

“No offense, Mrs. Harper, but that sounds like something out of a romance novel.  I don’t think it ever happens that way in real life,” he chuckled pessimistically.

“We must not give up hope on our dreams, Nathaniel, no matter how impossible they may seem,” she sighed wistfully.

Her gaze drifted into the distance, her leather fingers absently tugging at the collar of her blouse. 

“I have waited longer than you can ever imagine for my true love to appear once more.  His kiss would fulfill me... for eternity.”

There was a long pause. 

“You’re not talking about Marvin giving you a kiss when he gets back from Germany are you?” he clarified precariously.

“No,” she smirked to herself, her plump crimson lips glistening wetly.

“My heart belonged to one man ages before Marvin came into my life and it shall belong to him forever.”

Nathan did not know how to react to what she said.  Cassandra continued to stare at the horizon.  When at last her eyes flickered towards him again several moments later she covered her mouth self-consciously and ducked her head.

“Oh!  Forgive me, Nathaniel!  You must think me a terrible wife now to be speaking of another man!” she apologized, peering over the collar of her coat with a guilty expression.

“Not at all,” he answered.

“I’m sure you were in relationships with other men before you met Marvin.”

Truly, he would be curious to know if she dated much when she was young.  Who was the man she supposedly gave her heart to years ago?  Was he the same guy that Nathan reminded her of?  Was that why she was acting so strange around him?  

Wholesome, buttoned-up Cassandra was more of an enigma than he would have ever guessed!

“I love my husband as dearly as life itself and I have always been faithful to him,” she declared, defending her virtue.

“To fail as a wife would be devastating to me!”

Her leather coat crackled as she shifted in her seat, pressing her hands to her chest.

“I have no doubt,” he assured her. 

“You don’t have to convince me that you are a good wife, Mrs. Harper.  I believe you.”

“Marriage is a lifelong promise between a man and a woman to provide for one another.  It has less to do with romance and more to do duty and sacrifice,” she pontificated somewhat self-righteously.

She cocked the tip of her nose up slightly and tugged the ends of her coat sleeves over the cuffs of her white blouse.

“Some of us young people still understand that, Mrs. Harper.  Duty and honor have not been completely forgotten,” he reassured her.

“Yes, but you are an extraordinary young man, Nathaniel,” she smiled at him.

“You have given me more hope for the future tonight than I have dared dream for in many years.”

Nathan wasn’t sure how to respond to her compliment.  She seemed to have some great expectation for him that he could not guess.

“The careless attitude among many of your generation is truly frightening.  Trying to meet an honourable husband now would be a dreadful prospect” she shuddered.

“Well, luckily you don’t need to worry about finding a good man, Mrs. Harper, because you’ve already got one!” he grinned.

“Yes.  Of course,” she nodded, glancing away with an inkling of reservation.

“Marvin is a good husband.  I know he will love me and provide for me his entire life.”

She turned her head to peer out the passenger side window. 

  

“So, how did you and Marvin meet?” Nathan asked.

She looked toward him again.  The upturned collar of her leather coat cut through her silky red tresses.

“We met at a charity dinner.  He was a handsome, young entrepreneur and I was a librarian who volunteered at fundraising events,” she recalled with a sigh.

“You used to be a librarian?” Nathan interjected.

“Yes.  I worked part time as a librarian when I was single.  I had just moved to Boston and got a job at the local public library,” she explained.

He wasn’t surprised.  She would make a perfect librarian.

“It was a respectable way to support myself and I became involved in a local women’s charity group that met there.  I was serving punch at a fundraiser when Marvin introduced himself to me.  After he returned to me for a third refill I realized that he must have been interested in more than getting a drink because the punch tasted awful.  I don’t know what he saw in me, but he flirted with me persistently until I agreed to go on a date with him!”

Nathan knew exactly what Marvin saw in her.  If she could have possibly been any prettier when she was younger she must have been a real knockout!

“How long did you guys date?” Nathan asked.

“Not long.  Marvin proposed to me after only three months and we married before the year’s end,” she answered.

“Wow!  You guys didn’t waste any time!” he commented, somewhat surprised.

“Yes, well, Marvin was a... vigorous man and there were certain things I would not allow until he put a wedding ring on my finger,” she blushed. 

Nathan was sure he understood what she meant.  He pictured Cassandra being traditional enough that she would not even allow Marvin to spend the night at her house if they were not married, much less sleep together. 

“Apparently I was worth the commitment.  We will celebrate our twenty-second anniversary next month,” she smiled, nestling her head proudly into the collar of her blouse.

“That’s cool, Mrs. Harper!” he exclaimed. 

“That kind of commitment is rare and commendable.  Other couples would do well to follow your example.”

“Thank you,” she said, pursing her lips smugly.

“Marvin promised me till death do us part and I mean to hold him to his word!”

She buried her face deeper into her collar, chuckling to herself jovially.

Nathan chuckled along with her for a moment followed by an uncomfortable pause.

“Do you mind if I turn the radio on?” he asked her, hoping to change the candour of their conversation to something less serious.

“Oh!  Not at all!” she replied.

Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” was playing as he switched on the dial. 

“They’re doing a marathon of Halloween songs on this retro station,” he explained as the song ended with Vincent Price’s creepy laughter.

“I can change the station if you want,” he offered.

“No need to change it for me.  I enjoy the Halloween season very much,” she assured him.

“Really?  That’s cool,” he replied.

“Halloween is my favorite holiday.  I have a lot of fun with it.”

He spent the next several minutes describing to her how he decorated his yard to look like a graveyard complete with sound effects, a fog machine, and a rubber skeleton hanging from his tree in a full-size gibbet cage.  She seemed rather amused as he told her about dressing up like a Puritan witch-hunter to pass out candy to children for trick-or-treat.  

Cassandra enjoyed decorating for Halloween as well, although he expected in a far more tasteful fashion than his gothic display.  Not surprising, Christmas was her favorite holiday and she decked the halls of her house extravagantly.

She continued to chit-chat in a lively manner.  She planned on going shopping at Macy’s the next day.  Apparently there was a good sale on skirts and blouses, and she needed a new purse.  She was thinking about going to a pumpkin festival afterward if it wasn’t raining.  There was a craft show there that she enjoyed visiting. 

Nathan momentarily became distracted by the image she conjured in his mind.  He could hardly think of a prettier sight to see than Cassandra browsing along the booths of an autumn festival, buttoned up in her gleaming leather coat on a brisk, sunny afternoon.  He would be exhilarated to simply watch her.  

And for a split second he considered driving to the festival just to spy on her.  

No other woman ever inspired such behavior in him before.  He was very much a gentleman who was conscious of the regular social boundaries.  If anything, he was not aggressive enough about pursuing women, but there was something about Cassandra that made him practically want to stalk her.

He reminded himself again that she was utterly unavailable and very much deserving of his respect.

“Do you have any plans for tomorrow?” she asked him.

“No.  I’ll probably just watch some movies or something,” he answered. 

“Maybe you should come out to the pumpkin festival!” she suggested in a chipper tone.

“What?” he stammered, clearing his throat nervously.

Could she read his mind?

“You might find some new Halloween decorations for your house.  It is a big place, but who knows, you might see me there!”

He glanced at her incredulously.  Was she teasing him?  

Her expression conveyed nothing but blithe wholesomeness so he couldn’t tell. 

“Yeah.  I don’t know, Mrs. Harper.  I’ll see what’s going on tomorrow,” he chuckled nervously.

“Well, if you decide that you want to come I promise I’ll be wearing this same coat.  A woman with red hair in a long, black leather coat shouldn’t be too hard to find in the crowd,” she pointed out. 

No doubt!  He would spot her from a hundred yards away with one eye shut!  The unintentional innuendo of her words made him stiffen and squirm.

“So!  What are you going to do all week while Marvin is gone?” he blurted, desperate to change the overly-provocative subject.

“Oh!  I have plenty to keep me busy.  I have an appointment at the beauty parlor on Monday to get my hair and nails done.  My bridge club is having a luncheon on Tuesday and I have a society meeting Thursday afternoon.  Otherwise I will be in my kitchen canning raspberry preserves and baking pumpkin pies!” she explained.

“I shall make you a pie and a couple jars of my best jam for driving me home tonight.” 

“You don’t have to do that Mrs. Harper,” he assured her, shaking his head modestly.

“I insist!  And I will deliver them to you personally!” she declared.

“You know the rumors would fly if you gave me anything at the office,” he cautioned.

“Oh, I would not bring them to the office!  I will deliver them to your front door!” she persisted in her genuine way.

“Perhaps Marvin and I will stop over on Halloween night!  I would be delighted to see your decorations, but you must promise not to put me in your gibbet cage for being a witch!”

“I don’t think Marvin would let me put you in a cage!” he laughed.

“If he knew what was good for him... he might!” she chattered playfully.

She smiled at him congenially and he continued to laugh at her remark.  The prospect of Mrs. Harper showing up at his door dressed as a leather-coated witch made him anticipate Halloween more than ever!

Twilight painted the sky brilliant shades of orange, streaked with dramatic clouds as they reached the exit ramp from the highway.  Not surprisingly, Marvin and Cassandra lived in an affluent neighborhood known to be populated by old money. 

Nathan rarely ever went anywhere on that side of town and he could not recall ever driving down the particular road they were on.  They got caught at several stop lights and passed deluxe grocery stores, upscale shopping malls, coffee shops, restaurants, and boutique businesses.

“Marvin was afraid we would get stuck in traffic through here if he had to drop me off.  It can be really terrible, especially on a Saturday night,” Cassandra observed.

The four lane road narrowed into two lanes as they reached the residential area.  Cassandra told him which way to turn at two intersections.  Stone walls and white picket fences enclosed gated communities, horse pastures, and golf courses on both sides.  Tree branches arched majestically overhead, enclosing entire blocks in a canopy of falling leaves.

They continued another two or three miles when Cassandra instructed him to turn left onto a street called Endicott Court.  They drove past several large, old, expensive-looking homes.  About a mile down the road Cassandra pointed. 

“That is it just ahead.  Number 616 on the left,” she told him.  

Her house was set back a good distance atop a gentle slope, partly hidden from view by large trees in the yard, and silhouetted against a fiery crimson horizon.  A low brick wall ran across the front, leading to a formal entryway flanked by stone urns on raised pedestals.  Colorful autumn foliage overflowed from the urns.

“You’ve got a big yard!  How large is your property?” he asked, turning into her driveway.

“Three acres,” she answered.

“Small enough for Marvin and I to keep up our own yard work, but big enough to give us privacy from the neighbors.” 

Nathan slowly rolled up the driveway that ran along the far side of the yard.

“The leaves are really beginning to fall,” Cassandra noted.

“The lawn will be completely covered by the time Marvin gets back!  It will take us an entire weekend to get them cleaned up!”

“Yeah.  I bet that is quite a job,” he remarked.

“Oh, I enjoy spending an afternoon out in the crisp autumn air,” she replied.

Nathan immediately pictured her raking leaves on a cool day with a chocolate leather barn coat buttoned over a thick turtleneck sweater and jeans.  No doubt she would wear boots of some kind and a pair of thick leather work gloves to protect her hands from blisters and thorns.  

He would be more than happy to help her clean her yard.

A distinguished two-story Colonial Revival house came into view beyond the trees with black-shuttered windows on a red brick facade and a gabled roof.  It was not an extravagantly huge mansion; but certainly an upscale luxury home befitting a wealthy couple.  The central entryway was covered by a stately portico supported on columns.  A white broken pediment and pilasters framed the front door. 

The driveway circled around a flowerbed in front of the house and led to an attached two-car garage.  Outdoor lights lit up a colorful array of orange, yellow, red, and purple chrysanthemums planted around a fountain.  A friendly-looking scarecrow in a flannel shirt and overalls stood slightly crooked beside two hay bales decorated with large pumpkins.

Bearing to the right of the circle, Nathan parked so that Cassandra’s door opened directly over the paved walkway to her porch.

“Here you are Mrs. Harper,” he announced.

He leaned back in his seat and sighed.  The imminent disappointment of her departure cloyed at him.

“Will you not come inside and visit with me for a spell?” she asked.

“You want me to come in?” he stammered.

His heart leapt at the prospect of spending some more time with her!

“Of course!  I must repay your kindness for bringing me home Nathaniel,” she offered.

“Are you sure Mrs. Harper?  Marvin wouldn’t care?” he asked politely.

“My husband is not here nor does he govern what I do in private,” she assured him evenly.

Her demeanor was uncharacteristically assertive.

“I have some warm apple cider simmering in the kitchen.  I would be delighted to pour a mug for you while we talk some more,” she tempted him further. 

“I am curious to hear about this guy I remind you of,” he admitted.

“I promise to answer all of your questions,” she continued.

“If you allow me to explain, I believe you will understand where your historic passion comes from, and maybe even realize who you really are.” 

He hesitated for a moment longer.

Her leather coat creaked as she leaned toward him and placed her hand upon his!  The touch of her cool, buttery glove on his skin sent an endorphin rush through him!  Uncontrollable arousal stiffened in the seat of his pants. 

“You and I share a special connection, Nathaniel.  Now that I recognize it I cannot possibly bear to keep it to myself!  You simply must hear what I have to tell you!” she pleaded prettily.

He really didn’t have a clue what she was talking about, but the excitement in her voice made him anxious to find out.  Truth be told he had nothing else to do that night and he could not possibly think of more stimulating company than Cassandra.  

He would be a fool to turn down a chance to hang out with the splendid lady!

What was he waiting for? 

“Alright Mrs. Harper,” he exhaled with a grin. 

“You will join me?” she exclaimed.

“I guess I can come in for a little bit,” he affirmed, trying to act cool about it.

She clasped her hands together triumphantly.  The dazzling smile that parted her lips sent sparks flying through his brain. 

“You really don’t have to do this though, Mrs. Harper,” he added, turning his car engine off and removing the key from the ignition.

“Yes.  I do.  And there is something that you must do for me,” she requested sweetly.

Her leather coat crunched and crackled as she unfastened her seatbelt.

“What’s that?” he asked.

“Stop calling me Mrs. Harper!” she demanded vivaciously. 

“I am not your librarian, Nathaniel!  Please, call me Cassandra.”

“Okay,” he agreed with a glance and a grin.

He reached to unbuckle his seatbelt.

She caught his arm and squeezed it with encouragement. 

“You do not understand, Nathaniel.  I would very much like to hear you say my name,” she urged him softly.

Her leather coat creaked tensely, as if to emphasize her words.

Apparently she really wanted to hear him say her name.

“It’s going to take me a little bit to get used to calling you by your first name, but alright,” he grinned.

“It is a pleasure to really meet you... Cassandra.”

Her beautiful green eyes danced with delight, catching the lamp light in such a way that they practically seemed to glow.  Her full lips curved into a huge smile that exposed all of her pearly white teeth, but failed to cause a single wrinkle to crease on her angelic face. 

“I assure you, Nathaniel, the pleasure shall be all mine!” she gushed.

She patted his forearm and burst into exuberant laughter.

It was the first time he ever heard Cassandra laugh.  Nathan realized this because the noise that came from her throat was so unexpected he would never forget it. 

Her laughter would best be described as a high-pitched cackle; the kind one would expect to hear from a much older woman.  The somewhat hysterical quality of it was slightly unnerving and a stark contrast to her otherwise placid aspect.  It reminded him that even a lady of Cassandra’s seamless quality was not without imperfections.

After two unrestrained peals she regained her composure.

“Well then!  Let us go in!  Shall we?” she chirped, still chuckling to herself happily.

Her pointed black collar fanned across her cheek and her lustrous red hair swept in a thick wave over her shoulder as she turned to open the passenger door.  Bunching leather creaked and the long hem of her coat swished as she rose from the seat.

Nathan hesitated for a moment after her door thumped shut.  As much as he instinctively wanted to follow her something in the back of his mind warned him not to go into her house.

Something wasn’t right.

He didn’t know Cassandra well enough to say if she was acting unusual or if she was just being her normal self.  It didn’t surprise him that she might be somewhat eccentric.  She was a secluded housewife whose privileged lifestyle probably kept her a bit out of touch with mainstream society.  Nobody really had authority to question her except her husband, so she could pretty much believe or do anything she wanted and there was no one to tell her otherwise.

Cassandra was unexpectedly warm and inviting, and for some reason that struck him as odd.  From previous experience Nathan expected her to be more prim and reserved.  He predicted that she had an academic interest in history, but he never thought of her as a romantic type who was passionate about ideas like true love.  Maybe she was just comfortable enough around him to express herself more fully.

Whatever her mysterious fixation was with him resembling someone from her past she was adamant about sharing it with him.  But, why couldn’t she just tell him who the person was in the car?  Did she want to show him a picture to prove the likeness?  Or was she luring him in for some other purpose?

The issue for Nathan, of course, was that Cassandra was so incredibly attractive to him.  Going inside with her was subjecting himself to temptation, whether it was intentional on her part or not.  He prided himself on having strong willpower.  He would never touch her no matter how utterly enticing she may be.  If she were to come onto him in some “Mrs. Robinson” scenario he would simply resist her and leave. 

But, surely buttoned-up Mrs. Harper had no such designs for him.  Was he so enamored with her that his imagination was getting carried away?

He chuckled at himself as he stuffed his car key into his pocket.  Cassandra’s black leather witch hat caught his eye in the back seat where she had forgotten it.  He snatched it up to take in with him.  The sculpted leather brim was pliable in his grasp, but thick enough to hold its shape. 

Cassandra was already halfway to the door.  The heels of her boots clicked on the paved walkway as she noticed he was not following her and turned around.  Her leather coat shined wetly in the lamplight and all five buttons flashed simultaneously down the front of her.  She motioned for him with her sleek leather hands.  Her green eyes and red lips stood out vividly on her ghostly white face.

“Come along, Nathaniel!  There are bats fluttering around out here!  If one of them flies down at me I will scream!” she called to him girlishly. 

If he was going in with her it was now or never.